


The Potions Master

by Amledo



Series: Changed Perspectives [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Family, First Year AU, Friend!Draco, Friendship, Gen, Good!Snape, Hogwarts First Year, Illnesses, Manipulated!Ron, Mentor!Snape - Freeform, Slytherin!Harry, manipulative!Dumbledore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2013-02-07
Packaged: 2017-11-28 05:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/670913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amledo/pseuds/Amledo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The direct follow up to 'Trains and Introductions'.  Follow Harry through his first week at Hogwarts and see the changes that have been made in his life.  From the classes that he enjoys, to the friends he keeps, and the realitives that he misses so dearly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

Harry and Draco were settling into their dorm, helping each other unpack their well-stocked trunks and generally being glad that there were only two beds to a dorm. The rest of the Slytherin population seemed to be rather surly. Draco was an expert at filling wardrobes, he thusly insisted on being allowed to put their clothes away and so Harry let him, choosing himself to organize the desks and bookshelves that they had been provided.

As he stored sheaves of parchment and spare quills, he listened to Draco's mutterings about shoes needing polish and socks needing mending. He gave the ink bottles their own drawer as many of them did not have an Unbreakable charm on them and it seemed a pity to ruin so much parchment. Harry stocked their bookshelves with their First Year required books and then the number of alternative books that each of them had brought along. For nearly every holiday since learning to read, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had gifted him with books from both the Muggle and Magical worlds—his ignorance was as much a ruse as Ron's kindness. He had brought almost everything, not knowing what he would need.

Draco's book collection was equally interesting. There were several books on international Wizarding Law and a few on exotic magical creatures. The books that interested Harry were historical pieces on culture and fashion through each age of their world. Draco had marked several pages on fashion in the time of the Founders and had apparently been working on a few sketches of each of them. So Harry really wasn't all that surprised when the rest of Draco's books were art related and from the Muggle world.

"I wouldn't have pegged you for art Draco. But now that I think about it, it just makes sense," Harry said and moved to help Draco with the extra blankets that both had brought. Draco's was large and knit and bore his family crest; Harry's was crocheted and had patterns of autumn leaves on it, a gift from his Mother to Aunt Petunia. His Aunt had given it to him for his 5th birthday and he'd never slept without it since.

"Everyone has to have a hobby. Mine just happens to be historically accurate art. I can only sketch so far though; I haven't come close to learning how to paint. My Mother says that my Father was good at it though, so maybe I will be someday. Don't you have a hobby Harry?" Draco asked as they both flopped down in a couch that sat in the corner of their room, obviously a quiet place to relax and be away from House mates. Slytherin students were known after all for their solitary natures.

"Potions is one of them. Aunt Petunia says that my Mom was a whizz at Potions and Charms. But I think for fun really, I like to write. Just little stories, but it helps to have something to do on days when I am too tired and weak to get out of bed," Harry said and stretched his arms above his head. His back cracked loudly and Draco offered him a quick back rub to help relieve the strain that putting away all of their books had put on him. Harry agreed and soon declared Draco's hands to be made of relief and magic.

A knock sounded at the door and both boys scrambled to their feet, they had forgotten about room inspection. Professor Snape's head poked in through the door, he was willing to come back if they weren't ready, but Harry and Draco waved him in.

"You boys work quickly," their Head of House said with a small smile. He checked their desks and shelves, wardrobes and trunks. Of course he was checking for contraband as much as poor organizational skills. Everything checked out until he started to inspect their school books for any concealed items, a frown creased his face when he was paging through Harry's Potions book.

"S…Sir?" Harry asked curiously. He hoped that the Professor wouldn't be mad that he had added his own notes and thoughts on some of the Potions. It was never lightly that he marked up a school book, but with all of his research he had found some changes to be necessary.

"Mr. Potter, is this book second hand?" Professor Snape asked at last, his brow furrowed and confusion written over his face as he ran a finger over the altered recipes and muttered the changes to himself.

"No sir, Professor. I…I apologize for making notations. It was just…I've been learning about Potions for a few years now. There were a few things that I changed to conserve ingredients and lessen the brewing time…" Harry was bright red and his hands were clasped behind his back, but he had not dropped his gaze. He couldn't quite tell what the Professor was thinking or feeling, but he trusted the man.

"No apology necessary Mr. Potter. We are very glad to have you here in Slytherin; after all, the great Salazar himself was a Potions Master. I was merely noting that you had made some of the same notations that I myself had made at your age. You also made a few that I didn't notice until later. You show great promise. Perhaps you can teach my Godson the proper way to hold a knife. All of his skill is with the quill, isn't it Draco?" Professor Snape said after a moment and it was Draco's turn to go red.

"I am sorry sir, my Mother doesn't really believe in letting children around a cauldron, or in the kitchen. But," and here he went to his desk and pulled out a sheaf of papers, "I did draw those visual ingredient charts that you were talking about," Draco said and offered the papers to the Professor. After looking at a few the older man smiled brightly and clapped Draco gently on the shoulder.

"These are wonderful Draco. I may just use them in class. You two are Bunk mates so I will be pairing you up in class; I trust you will be on time tomorrow. And boys, five points each for promptness and tidiness, I am very proud," Professor Snape said with a bigger smile and swept silently out of the room. Once he was gone they both dropped down to the couch again and sighed with relief.

"Your Godfather?" Harry said it with a smile.

"Yeah, he's actually pretty fun. I know he wishes that I was gifted in some area magically, but he has always been proud of my drawing. And I'm not like not talented, I actually understand the theory really well, but since I have never been allowed to practice, I don't know if I will be any good," Draco said summoning his charms text from the shelf with a shy grin. He spent the next few minutes teaching Harry the charm explaining that Hermione had demonstrated it for him on the train.

"This is pretty useful. Oh, well damn, I wanted to ask Professor Snape about this letter. I totally forgot. Maybe tomorrow. But I wanted to know the why behind all of it. Why should I hate you and whose agent is Hermione?" Harry said and Draco's hypnotic grey eyes peeked over the top of his text book.

"Because we all know things that can help you to grow stronger. My Mother is a healer; if I bring you home on the holidays then she can begin to undo your condition. Hermione is not so much an agent but she knows things that Dumbledore won't want her to tell you. Her parents were contacted by your rightful Godparents and she has been asked to keep an eye out for things that might require their attention. Obviously Dumbledore doesn't want you to be friends with her because she could tell your Godparents about you. And you didn't ask but I will tell you anyway, Neville has a Limiter Wand because he was born just a few hours before you. Both of you have magic that comes from the same set of star alignments and moon stages, if his magic wasn't Limited it could recharge yours after just a few days," Draco said, the words tumbling out of him as though he had hated to hold on to them.

Harry just stared. He was slowly processing the things that he had just been told and was trying not to cry. So many things could, perhaps would be different for him just because of the friendships he had forged. And the one he had ignored. The Dursleys had never treated him badly, so he knew that they would have mentioned Godfathers if he had them. So it stood to reason that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't quite know what was going on. As soon as Hedwig brought his new glasses he would send them a letter telling them everything that had happened. Of course he was also excited to tell Dudley about the friends that he had made and to find out if the kids at Smelting's were any nicer to the larger boy than they had been in public school.

"Draco, I…thanks for being my friend. Even though everything seemed to be working against us, and we didn't quite get on well at the Robe Shop. I'm really glad that I have all of you. I don't think that I would be in a very good place if I was stuck being friends with Ron," Harry admitted, he was still fighting tears off and wishing that Aunt Petunia was there to give him a hug.

Draco did not speak, but he closed his book and rose from the couch. It didn't bother Harry, Dudley couldn't watch anyone cry or else he would cry too, so he was used to it. But when he felt his Mother's blankets draped around his shoulders and Draco sat close by, hugging him tightly, he knew that Draco would always be there for him. The tears didn't want to stop, because the confusion and hurt did not want to stop. How could Dumbledore, whom everyone seemed to admire so much, be so cruel to him? Harry couldn't honestly be blamed for something that had happened when he was a baby and yet he was and it was affecting the people that he had befriended even before they were his friends. None of it seemed fair.

"Harry, I will never stop being your friend. Nor will any of the others. At the start of the train ride, the Weasley twins found us and they told us your story, that much brought us all together, that's true. But Harry, you are a very easy person to be friends with, you are kind and you are generous and you just exude this aura that makes people want to be your friend. Personally, I don't care what ideas Dumbledore has for you, I plan on you being my friend. I also want to apologize, that day in Diagon Alley was the anniversary of my Father's death, he died before I was born and my Mother always gets upset so I do too. I can be a bit of a brat when I am upset," Draco said calmly and kept holding onto the other boy until sobs turned to whimpers and eventually stopped.

It was almost lights out anyway so Draco helped the almost sleeping boy into the bed he had claimed and crawled into his own. Luckily they had already been ready for bed beforehand; it was uncomfortable sleeping in school robes.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's first day of classes at Hogwarts begins. Severus Snape knows that the boys have questions for him, and the teachers know that something is going on with Dumbledore and the youngest Weasley boy. How will this play out?

Harry woke the next morning to the buzzing of his alarm clock, his eyes were aching and his throat was raw, but he felt better than he had before. A few seconds later, when Harry had turned the infernal device off, Draco sat up and rubbed his eyes, perfect blonde hair a wild mess. Smiling slightly, because he knew that Draco hated to appear in anything less than a put together state, Harry began to collect his clothes for the day. Draco followed shortly after and they each hopped into a shower stall, pitching their clothes over the top of it so that they didn't risk seeing one another undress. It had been the same for Harry in gym class in the Muggle world, he had been embarrassed by the thought of anyone who was not a medical professional seeing his frail frame.

Under the stream of hot water, Harry scrubbed the last of the previous night's tears from his face, glad that he had remembered to bring a good supply of his favorite soap and shampoo. It had gotten him called girly, but he loved the scent of lavender and as such his bath products bore the scent that he loved. It wouldn't have done him any good to tell anyone that he used them because he remembered the scent from vague flashes of the past and being in his Mother's arms. Then he would be the boy who misses his dead Mother and the kids wouldn't let that go, ever.

Draco was done first and Harry took a few extra minutes to relax in the heat of the shower so that Draco could have time to get ready. And once he was sure that enough time had gone by, he slipped from the shower and wrapped a towel around himself. Draco had placed Harry's clothes on the bathroom counter and judging by the wet footprints that led out of the bathroom, had taken his own clothes into their dorm to get dressed.

He checked his completed outfit in the mirror and opened the door when Draco knocked. The blonde boy was carrying a comb and a bottle of Perdue's Perfect Hair Potion, which Harry could already tell was strawberry scented. Draco went to work at once, putting his hair into place and was done in a matter of minutes, smiling slightly at his reflection, until he glimpsed Harry's tie in the mirror. On one foot the blonde spun to face his friend and deftly removed the tie from Harry's neck.

"Uniform appearance counts for House Points Harry. Here, let me," Draco said softly, as if trying to make up for the abruptness of the gesture. He looped the silk tie around Harry's neck and in seconds that tied it into a perfect Windsor knot. Harry's cheeks flamed red as Draco snugged up the tie and adjusted his collar so that it all lay neatly. For a brief instant he was reminded of Aunt Petunia fussing over his and Dudley's ties for the family Christmas photo.

"Thanks Draco, I didn't know they could dock House Points for a tie," Harry said as Draco stepped away. They went into the dorms where they found that their class schedules had been laid on their desks. Every class was the same, so they left Harry's tacked to their message board and took Draco's along with a school map. Before lunch they had Potions and Charms so they packed their school provided bags—in Slytherin green and silver of course—with textbooks, quills, parchment and ink, before adjusting the whole lot to accommodate their cauldrons, scales, phials and ingredients.

Harry's Potions ingredients were neatly kept in a portable Apothecary's pack which he had received from Uncle Vernon just his last birthday. The ingredients, some of them rare and expensive, had come from Aunt Petunia, others had been found during hikes that Dudley had taken him on. Draco's were all stored in Unbreakable jars and containers and he looked at Harry's kit with envy. But it hadn't escaped Harry's notice that Draco's cauldron was brass instead of the standard pewter, Potions brewed more quickly in a brass cauldron, Harry was slightly jealous.

As they hauled their bags down to the Great Hall for breakfast, Harry became grateful for the fact that they only needed to bring their cauldrons to class once. Of course, he wished that he could keep one in their room, the fireplace would do for a brewing station, and he really wanted to practice outside of class. But, assuming that such a thing was not permitted, he accepted it for what it was. A first year was a danger with a cauldron.

Breakfast was a madhouse, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor handed out their schedules at meal time, Ravenclaw had had theirs since the previous night. It was determined with a groan that they shared their first Potions lesson with the Gryffindors. Draco munched his toast and eggs mutinously, draining a glass of orange juice and scarfing bacon while keeping a weather eye out for scheming from the lions.

"Try to relax," Harry advised, making himself a sandwich out of two slices of toast, four strips of bacon, two eggs over easy and three sausage links. On principal he never ate lunch, the midday meal had made him sick since he was four and so he made up for it with a calorie heavy breakfast. He had already downed a glass of milk and was working on one full of orange juice while Draco continued to watch.

"How can you eat something so sloppy and not get a bit on you?" Draco asked at last, his eyebrow cocked at the sandwich concoction, which some of the older Slytherins were copying with amusement.

"I learned from my cousin. He has a thyroid problem, so he eats quite a bit. The doctors said that I needed more calories so he showed me how to do it. The key is to smash the yolks and give them a chance to soak into the toast, so the drier the toast the better, the bacon helps to seal it in and the sausages, as long as they are cooler, usually aren't greasy enough to drip," Harry explained between bites of the magnificent breakfast sandwich. "He called it the Dursley Deluxe," he added and popped the last bite into his mouth.

"It's interesting to say the least. But if you've been eating like that most of your life and you still have to deal with being small and weak then it is definitely magic that is messing with you. Aside from the fact that Neville can smell it, it is just more obvious now that it was malicious," Draco said with something of a sneer. He didn't care much for people that plotted such cruel things.

On the train they had come to the conclusion that it would be for the best if it didn't appear that they knew what it was that Dumbledore was up to. So none of them let their eyes rest on the Headmaster for any more than an instant, but if they had they would have noticed that he appeared to be angry. They would have noticed the discomfort on Professor McGonagall's face and the concern worn by Professor Snape. Something was wrong at the Head Table and only Ron Weasley knew what it was because he had been the recipient of Dumbledore's wrath.

What Ron Weasley didn't know, was that Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall had been able to hear the entire rant. They were shocked to learn of the Headmaster's scheming and had resolved to do something about it. Though neither of them had the full picture, they knew that Harry and his friends, being aware of the situation, were not likely to keep silent on it for very long. Severus and Minerva had quietly circulated the news among fellow staff members so that whomever the students chose, their Professors would not doubt them.

It took everything that the combined force of Severus and Minerva could produce to keep Poppy Pomfrey from breaking Neville Longbottom's wand and whisking Harry to the Hospital Wing. They swore to her that the moment either boy asked for help that it would be given. But they could not appear to be moving against Dumbledore too openly or else they would not have jobs left with which to protect the children. Poppy relented when she took this into consideration but watched the children with a Healer's eyes. She was almost relieved to see that Harry was taking steps to counter the magic that had been used against him and that Neville seemed to be strong, even with the Limiter in place.

"Slytherin and Gryffindor have Potions together first period," Severus observed mildly when it seemed that Dumbledore was beginning to question the silence.

"Yes, well, there isn't much better way to begin teaching them not to fight, is there?" Minerva responded, smiling slightly at the Slytherin table, much of the Quidditch team were copying Harry's sandwich and it seemed to be delightful. If she weren't avoiding bacon at the moment she would have loved to try it.

"A class less dangerous than Potions would be appreciated. I have my hands full nearly every year with exploding cauldrons and complaints of stolen ingredients. Perhaps you could turn a few of them into replacement cauldrons for me, eh Minerva?" Severus said with a little joking smile and rose from the table. He always left early to ensure that his classroom was properly prepared.

As he went he walked along his table, greeting many of the students that had not been awake when he arrived at breakfast. Malfoy and Potter rose and followed him out of the Great Hall; they did their best not to look like they were doing anything more than learning the way to the dungeon classroom. But he knew, judging by the look on Malfoy's face and the object that Potter could not seem to stop clutching, that they would be speaking to him shortly.


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A talk with Professor Snape, and the start of classes.

Harry and Draco tried to walk slowly, but the Potions Master had long legs and his normal stride was a light jog for the average 11 year old. But for Harry, who was smaller and weaker than he should have been, it was a full on run. He was breathless and sweating, but he didn't want to stop. No, if he stopped then there might not be enough time to speak with the Professor before other students began to show up for class.

Half-way to the Dungeon classroom the Professor halted in his tracks and spun to face the boys. He eyed Harry critically before saying something indistinguishable to a portrait and waving them forward. Only when they were inside and could see the desk covered in neatly stacked papers and shelves lined with readymade potions did they realize that they were in the Professor's office. Harry took the seat that Professor Snape indicated and did his best to catch his breath. He hated his condition and wished sorely that he could go with Draco that very instant so that Mrs. Malfoy could have a look at him.

"Care to enlighten me Mr. Malfoy as to why Mr. Potter here is experiencing what appears to be an asthma attack?" Professor Snape asked calmly, checking Harry's pulse against a wrist watch with a ticking second hand. Harry-who had gone pale but for the two bright spots of red on his cheeks-was trying to bring his breathing under control while wiping the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his robes.

"He had something important that he wanted to speak to you about. It's something that we learned about yesterday on the train. See, Fred and George Weasley were snooping around Ron's room, they said, and they found this letter. And it mentioned them, but it also mentioned Harry, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and myself. It's just there, in his hand. Oh please won't you take a look at it Professor?" Draco said, trying not to sound like he was freaking out, but Harry's breathing was still out of control and he looked truly unhealthy.

"Relax, I will attend to this matter as soon as I have seen to Mr. Potter's health, we have the papers that Mrs. Dursley sent along about his condition," the Professor selected two bottles from his shelf of potions and uncapped the first one as he placed the second one on his desk. "Stick out your tongue Mr. Potter," the Professor said and Draco noted that the cap on the bottle doubled as an eyedropper, the bottle bore the label 'Restoration Draught' and the second one was marked 'Strengthening Solution'. After two drops of each had been placed on Harry's tongue the Professor closed the bottles and told Harry to swallow.

It took a few moments but Harry began to look more healthy and less like he could pass out at any moment. He was able to unclench his hand from the letter, which was wrinkled and slightly dampened by sweat, but the Professor paid it no mind. The Professor's eyes were black, but they held a great amount of life and intensity, as they swept the lines of the letter that Harry had received on the train ride, his face drew into a scowl.

"So I see. It seems Mr. Potter that your vaults at Gringotts are in jeopardy. Has this not bothered you?" the Professor asked, addressing the first major concern that he had upon reading it. At least the first concern that he had any power to help with, after all, Harry had already made friends with the exact people that Ron had been intended to keep him away from.

"I was more concerned with the reasons that there might be for me to not be friends with the people mentioned in this letter. Clearly the twins are dangerous because they were willing to tell me what was going on. Draco says that he must be a concern because his Mother is a Healer and she might be able to help me. Hermione knows my Godfathers and I guess I'm not supposed to know about them. And Neville's star chart matches mine too closely for comfort, he could apparently bring me back to full power, given time," Harry said with a smile, he was feeling stronger by the second. Potions were a wonder and he was very glad to have selected them as his main interest.

"Vault tampering is a very serious thing Mr. Potter. If you will give me your permission I will make a visit to Gringotts on your behalf to ensure that your funds are safe. Your Aunt and Uncle will have to accompany me of course, but I assume that this is not a problem for them?" the Professor asked as he took a seat at his desk and drew out a sheet of parchment.

"Of course, you're my Head of House so that means you can contact them for just about any reason as long as it concerns me, right? I mean, if the Headmaster finds out, can you tell him that it is to ask about any special care I need for my condition? I don't want him to know that we mentioned this to you, it seems like he might not appreciate that," Harry said and Severus quietly admired the Slytherin qualities of his best friend's son.

"That would be fine Mr. Potter. I am going to refer you to the Hospital Wing for a brief examination after your last class this afternoon, which is?"

"Err…Transfiguration Sir," Draco said helpfully, consulting their shared class schedule.

"Good, you may hand this to Professor McGonagall and she will escort you there and explain the situation to Madam Pomfrey as best she can. Mr. Malfoy, I trust that you will stick with your bunkmate, this can be a rather intimidating experience to have alone," Professor Snape said as he passed a note to Harry. It was a pretty simple note which mentioned only that Harry needed to have a check-up and that it would be best if the Transfiguration Professor accompany him. It also stated that Draco was allowed to go with as moral support for the smaller boy.

He placed another note in front of Harry and handed him a quill, it was a statement that swore it was Harry himself that had granted permission for Professor Snape to act in his stead with the vault. Not knowing how to sign his magical signature as well as his physical one Harry glanced up at his Professor.

"Professor Snape Sir, how do I… I mean I've never had to before," Harry said and indicated the line, Severus granted him an understanding smile.

"I forget that you were not raised entirely as part of our world. Here, let me demonstrate," he placed his wand against the slip of parchment. "I Severus Tobias Snape do hereby sign this document," the Professor said and there was a small flash of light. The parchment appeared unaltered, but Harry trusted him and so repeated the same words, simply replacing the Professor's name with his own. With that done, the Professor slipped the parchment into his robes and led them through a small connecting hallway, down three separate flights of stairs and into the Potions classroom through a door which turned out to be a portrait of Slytherin.

"Take a seat gentlemen, we still have 15 minutes before classes are due to begin," Professor Snape said and opened the door to his classroom so that any early arrivals could find seats and begin to get set up. Several Slytherin students made their way into the room and a few of the more well-organized Gryffindors followed them. He was very pleased to notice that the room did not seem inclined to divide itself by House. But when Hermione Granger showed up and took a seat with Draco and Harry, a small frown of confusion crossed the Professor's face.

"Miss Granger, might I ask why you are in a Slytherin/Gryffindor Potions class?" the Professor said, no malice in his tone but there was confusion as he consulted his class list.

"Professor Flitwick said that there had been a mistake with some of the schedules. I am not technically supposed to be here, but I won't get my new class list until lunch. So rather than spend two class periods doing nothing, I decided to attend the classes listed, even if they are wrong," the bushy haired girl said, she didn't sound nervous, but Harry could feel that she was.

"Ah, understandable, especially for a Ravenclaw. As it will be a repeat class for you, I do not expect you to attend the first class of you updated schedule, you still may of course, but if you would rather a study period, I will write you a pass for the Library," the Professor said softly and Hermione nodded.

Ronald Weasley was the last one to enter the classroom; he was on time and silently went to the back of the room where there was an open table. No one greeted him and he kept his head down as he set up his cauldron. Harry wondered if perhaps the twins had told his new Housemates what had happened. If that was the case then Harry felt a little sorry for Ron. No one deserved not to have any friends, even someone who had been willing to be a spy. There had to be a reason that Ron would have agreed to something like the scheme laid out on the letter Ron had received, and though Harry knew he could never truly be Ron's friend, he wanted to know that reason.


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion to the second part of 'Changed Perspectives'.

Harry's first day of classes concluded with Transfiguration. As he had been instructed to do, he gave the pass to Professor McGonagall and waited with Draco while she locked her classroom. She did not speak, but she was kind, if a little strict, and she kept a slower pace than Severus had. Harry did not have a repeat of the episode from earlier that day, for which he was thankful as the halls were actually populated with students this time around.

In Muggle Primary School he had been picked on and bullied for being small and weak, for being prone to bouts of fainting or asthma attacks. Dudley couldn't always be with him to protect him, Hogwarts being an excellent example of that reality. It was a terrifying prospect, being surrounded by kids who were so powerful that death existed at the tip of a wand and knowing that Dudley was not there. It also worried him that Dudley was stuck at Smelting's where he didn't have a reputation as a good guy and a gentle giant. Kids had always been cruel about his weight but with Harry around, Dudley had the courage to stand up and defend himself.

"You alright Harry?" Draco asked softly, his voice laced with concern. Harry blinked and looked around, they were almost to the Hospital Wing and Draco had linked their arms together at the elbow so that he could guide Harry.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about my cousin. I didn't think that I would get so homesick so quickly. But I can write home soon, and maybe that will help," Harry said in reply, not letting go of Draco's arm because the long walk had taken much of his energy.

"Don't worry about it. I miss my Mother like crazy. But she agreed that we could write each other three times a week. Did you set a number with your family?" Draco asked as Harry was being settled onto the side of a starched white bed.

"Well Aunt Petunia just said that I could write whenever I needed to. I have to send all of my letters to Dudley there anyway. He's at a Muggle Boarding school and I don't think that they would be okay with owls just showing up at odd times. But my owl isn't here yet because I am waiting for my glasses, so I can't talk to them yet," Harry's voice trembled slightly, whether it was emotion or exhaustion Draco couldn't be sure.

"The school has owls for student use dear, you don't have to wait if you'd rather not," Madam Pomfrey, the school Healer said as she bustled into the cubicle that surrounded Harry's bed. She didn't look nearly as frightening as the school nurse from his Primary School so Harry didn't have to force a smile onto his face when he greeted her and thanked her for the advice.

Harry sat stock still, his eyes riveted on Draco for support. Having never had a magical medical scan before, he was frightened to know what it might turn up. After all, the Muggle diagnosis of…he didn't know what it was called, had been frightening enough back when he was four. But knowing that magic was more accurate, knowing that he was potentially suffering from the effects of a malicious curse, he was suddenly very afraid.

Madam Pomfrey gasped dramatically no less than three times and scowled darkly at least two more, but Harry didn't notice because he was busy watching Draco. The parchment that had been filled with scratchy hasty writing was completely ignored by both boys. At the very least, Harry had chosen to block out the truth for as long as he could, it frightened him and so he didn't want to know the details. He would much rather Madam Pomfrey discuss it with Professor Snape and leave him out of it entirely.

"Mr. Potter, you may leave now. I won't keep you over night, but you should drink this before you leave," the Healer said at long last and Harry accepted the phial of potion, recognizing it as a Nutrient Potion. She probably knew that he didn't eat lunch then, or perhaps her spell had told her something that he didn't care to know.

"Is it fixable?" Harry couldn't resist asking the question. His mouth still filled with the taste of chicken stock. Nutrient Potions came in a variety of flavors based on their caloric content, chicken happened to be the 500 calorie dose. Harry didn't know how many calories he was supposed to eat a day, but if she thought he needed 500 before dinner, it didn't leave him with a good feeling.

"In time Mr. Potter. I will speak with your Head of House about your situation so that he may speak with your guardians. If you leave your bags hear I will have them sent to your dorms while you are at dinner. No sense in you burning off too much extra of that potion," the Healer said in a kindly tone, but Harry could tell that she was sad. They agreed and thanked her politely before beating a hasty retreat. Dinner would start in ten minutes and they wanted to be able to get spots next to one another.

Two days later Severus Snape was knocking on the door belonging to the dorm room of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, his face imperceptibly blank. Most of the Slytherin students watched with confusion, a few with concern. Harry Potter had been to the Hospital Wing again and Draco had carried him back. Neither had come back down and a Prefect had contacted Professor Snape.

"Come in," a voice, whether it was Potter's or Malfoy's was unclear. Professor Snape opened the door and stepped inside, momentarily glancing around in confusion when he did not see the two boys. Then he spotted the tangle of blankets on one of the beds. One bearing the Malfoy family crest, and one he had seen Lilly in the process of making for her older sister. Both students were curled together in the bed, Harry shivering violently and Draco holding onto him for all it was worth. He knew that Madam Pomfrey had sent them to the dorm with a special order for dinner to be in their room, but he didn't know that Harry was in such bad shape.

"A Prefect alerted me that all was not well," Professor Snape said as he stood by the bed, his heart hurting at the pitiful sight that Harry made.

"It's just Harry. Madam Pomfrey gave him a potion that was supposed to help his body get stronger, but he isn't used to it," Draco said calmly, his head resting atop Harry's jet black hair.

"Ah, she hadn't mentioned a potion. It is an understandable reaction given his condition. Tomorrow is Saturday Draco; I want you to make sure that Harry doesn't sleep through breakfast. The food is more important than sleep. Your Mother wrote me you know, after you told her about this whole mess. It seems that she is very proud of you for helping Harry the way you are," Professor Snape said gently, he could see that his Godson was frightened and upset, he didn't want to keep his mind on poor Harry's suffering.

"She gave me some advice. I guess she knew that something like this would happen. She told me that no matter what, I've got to keep him warm and I've got to keep him eating regular meals. I just hope that he doesn't mind my sharing his bed," Draco said, finding the energy to chuckle when Harry snuggled closer, the shaking seeming to lessen slightly.

"Yes, the warmer he stays the less energy his body burns keeping him that way. It is a dreadful curse Draco, but I am glad that he has you to help him beat it. Today he is on his way to healing, it will be a long while, but he will get better, he will be healthy one day," Professor Snape said softly before they said their good-byes and Draco was left alone with Harry shivering in his arms once again. But he was determined to keep his friend safe, and knowing that his Godfather was on their side made everything seem more positive.


End file.
